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Half-Life fridge magnets open portal to alternate 8-bit dimension

by Randy Nelson { May 22nd 2009 at 5:00AM }

The world no longer has to wonder what the character sprites from an NES version of Half-Life would look like, as Etsy artisan ArcadeArt has given us the proverbial goods ... and they're magnets made out of beads. The three-magnet set sells for $20 and includes pixel art versions of bespectacled Gordon Freeman, the gray-suited G-man and a scientist with a bad case of headcrab. Their creator has even crafted a mock Half-Life NES box cover, included with each order.

Should Valve's FPS classic somehow not be your thing, ArcadeArt also fashions similar sprite magnets based on Resident Evil, Pikmin and Super Mario Kart.

[Via Wonderland]

Fanmade MadWorld figurine oozes cool

by David Hinkle { Apr 8th 2009 at 2:25PM }

There are plenty of things to love about MadWorld. The over-the-top slapstick action, the hilarious commentators, and fun Blood Bath Challenges are just a few of the things we enjoy in Platinum Games' latest title. Well, deviantART user ebooze loves the game's main character Jack so much that he decided to make his own custom figurine, complete with detachable chainsaws of both the bloody and clean variety. Want!

Gallery: MadWorld

[Via Go Nintendo]

Sackboy of Persia will melt your heart

by Jem Alexander { Feb 23rd 2009 at 1:30PM }

How adorable is this? It's the Prince from the 2008 Prince of Persia reboot recreated in Sackboy form. Media Molecule keeps saying that official, purchasable Sackboys are coming, but when we see stuff like this it makes the wait much harder. The two pictured above were made by craftswoman extraordinaire, Maggie Wang. Check out her website for more pictures of Sackboy Prince from various angles, along with some tips on how he was made.

Looking at these images we can't help but wish for some LittleBigPlanet Prince of Persia DLC in the future. Perhaps involving a wall-running powerup? Then again, what game wouldn't be awesome when converted to LittleBigPlanet DLC? Wonder when those Final Fantasy VII and Killzone 2 packs will finally come out ...

Show and Tell: A Tale of Some Kirbys

by Alisha Karabinus { Jan 20th 2009 at 3:00PM }

When Chrismix sent us pictures of a pink lantern Kirby, we were so bowled over by the cuteness that there was no other option than this: dedicating this week's Show and Tell to the little pink guy. Thus did we set out, scouring the harsh planes of these wild internets in search of custom Kirby swag. Interested in what we found? Take the guided tour here, or jump right into the gallery below.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Kirby

Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.

KNiiTTiiNG teaches creative yarn tangling with the Wiimote

by JC Fletcher { Jan 7th 2009 at 6:15PM }

If Roger Ebert would rather knit than play video games, how much interest would he have in a project that uses video game hardware to teach knitting? Well, probably not much, because he already knows how. But for people who already like games and want to like knitting, the KNiiTTiiNG! project might be a wonderful thing.

Created by Rachel Beth Egenhoefer and Kyle E. Jennings, KNiiTTiiNG uses Wiimote and Nunchuk motions to simulate the movements of knitting needles, in a Dance Dance Revolution-style game in which players knit and purl in response to onscreen prompts in order to create virtual tea cozies and such.

The project is currently in beta, but maybe if we're lucky we'll get some kind of homebrew release that uses the actual Wii, or at least a playable PC version. In the ideal situation, we'd remind the developers that WiiWare has no distribution or packaging costs! We'd love to use our expert waggling skills to learn a real, useful one.

[Via Crafty Crafty]

Show and Tell: The Chrono crew

by Alisha Karabinus { Nov 25th 2008 at 11:00AM }

With the highly-anticipated release of Chrono Trigger, it seemed a good time to take a moment to celebrate all the love the game has seen over time. Well, perhaps not all the love, but some of the crafts, cosplay, and art the game's fans have put together.

Take the guided tour right here, or jump into the gallery below if you prefer to be a little more free with the space-time continuum ... or, uh, our Show and Tell presentation.

Gallery: Show and Tell: The Chrono crew

Show and Tell: Oh, Mama!

by Alisha Karabinus { Oct 28th 2008 at 12:27PM }

It's no wonder we're seeing Mama branch out -- Cooking Mama spawned a ridiculous amount of love, even if it didn't break any sales records. The shining face of Mama (or the image of her fiery eyes) is fast becoming a staple in the gamer crafting and cosplay communities. Mama's out of the kitchen, so we're dedicating this week's Show and Tell to her!

Take the guided tour by starting right here, or be reckless and jump right into the gallery below.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Making Mama

Show and Tell: One dedicated community

by Alisha Karabinus { Oct 21st 2008 at 12:50PM }

We've been talking a lot about Mother 3 recently, and for good reason: the fan community is one of the strongest around, and they function without even a scrap of official love. Still, they soldier on, translating games, and, even better for us in this space, they make things.

Of course, a fan translation is about the biggest DIY project we could feature here, but we've already done that. Instead, let's talk other things Mother, and by that, we mean crafts and similarly fun and frivolity. Take the tour of our picks, or just jump right into the gallery below.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Mother crafts

Show and Tell: We salute you, Game Boys

by Alisha Karabinus { Oct 14th 2008 at 1:10PM }

We've said goodbye to the GBA, but it's not dead yet, and never will be if these people have a say. Modders and artists keep systems alive and relevant even after everyone else has forgotten about them. The Game Boy name and changing face has been a favorite of modders for some time, and today for Show and Tell, we're going to celebrate a small part of that.

Jump right into the gallery below if you're so inclined, or take the guided tour.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Five ways to love the Game Boy

Show and Tell: Hook it

by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 30th 2008 at 2:15PM }

There's no denying that many of the best DS accessories and Nintendo crafts we've seen have come courtesy of someone's mad crochet skills. From cases to bits of cutesy fluff, there's a lot that can be done with a crochet hook and a little yarn. This week, we're going to take a longer look at the magic behind some of our favorite Nintendo crafts. Take the guided tour, or just jump right into the gallery below.

Gallery: Show and Tell: It's dangerous to craft alone! Learn this.

Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts. Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.

DS Daily: Encasement

by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 26th 2008 at 9:00AM }

There are hundreds -- no, probably thousands -- of truly excellent DS cases floating around. No matter your taste, style, or brand of fandom, you can almost certainly find something that suits you. In fact, around here, we have time settling on just one case per DS. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming.

On the flip side, you can make a DS case out of just about anything. You can even stick it naked into your pocket or bag and depend on luck. Considering all this, here's our question today: how much money do you think you've spent on cases for your DS(es)? If you're one of the lucky ones who can answer "none" who isn't also carrying around a DS in a sock, then our kudos to you!

Show and Tell: No one has to know

by Alisha Karabinus { Aug 26th 2008 at 11:30AM }

Maybe sometimes, you don't really want to flaunt your status as a gamer. Maybe you like to do so sometimes, or with certain groups of friends, or maybe you just like being mysterious. No matter your reasons, if you have any interest in keeping your true love at least a little hidden, then this week's Show and Tell should provide you with lots of ideas for keeping your hobbies close to your chest. Take the guided tour, or, if you're feeling reckless, jump directly into the gallery below.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Subtlety

Show and Tell: Put it on

by Alisha Karabinus { Aug 19th 2008 at 11:30AM }

Click to read about this pouch

Geek crafts often start with things you can put on your own body, or on the "bodies" of the things you care about (like your DS!). From jewelry to clothes to cases, we've seen a lot of wearables in the history of Show and Tell, so for the second week in our new format, it only seemed sensible to revisit one of the most popular types of fan-made objects. If you need a thing to put on another thing, you've come to the right place! Take a tour of our latest finds, or dip directly into the gallery below.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Wearables

Long Mario scarf is long

by Chris Greenhough { Aug 11th 2008 at 9:25PM }

Click for more images of the scarf

Atlanta knitter Cassie (that'll be her boyfriend, Jason, pictured) is currently slaving away on what is likely to be the greatest scarf of all time -- a wool-based reproduction of the iconic World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros.

Yep, you read that right -- every jump, bush, coin, Goomba, pipe (though not the sewer sections, understandably), item box, and cloud, accurately rendered in yarn. According to the determined Cassie, the scarf is currently around one-third complete, and is already at ten feet, meaning the finished article will come in at around thirty feet in length. A scarf fit for giants! See more of this glorious work-in-progress in our gallery.

Gallery: Cassie's World 1-1 scarf

[Via Geekologie]

We totally heart homemade crafts of all shapes and sizes, from the most awesome quilts and bedding to fun-size Wiimotes to corsets to ... ANYTHING papercraft-related. We're just really soft inside. And a bit squishy.

Cases Critterized

by Phil Larsen { Jul 18th 2008 at 7:00PM }

Most DS Lite cases are themed on something. These particular cases are themed just fine, but it's nothing we've seen before. Etsy craftsperson filmfatale has gone for a generic "critters" design. Someone might filch the idea and use critters in an upcoming game ... which would spawn a disturbing merchandising cycle. Coming soon from a developer near you -- Critters: The Case: The Game: The Case.

Some materials used here are none other than recycled clothing (among other suitable fabrics). That's a pretty good idea. In fact, anyone with a leftover surplus of puffy shirts or parachute pants should probably get to work, because homemade cases are all the rage. Check out filmfatale's store for more stock!